Gas turbine output can be readily increased by cooling ambient air entering the gas turbine compressor. The air density increases with decreasing temperature and results in higher mass flow through the gas turbine. The gas turbine output increases with increased mass air flow, thus providing higher turbine output with inlet air cooling. Gas turbine inlet air cooling has been used to increase power output during peak demand periods in gas turbine combined cycle power plants.
A combined cycle power plant in its simplest form consists of a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a generator and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) with the gas turbine and steam turbine coupled to the single generator in tandem on a single shaft. Multi-shaft arrangements having one or more gas turbine generators and a common steam turbine generator have been utilized. The thermal efficiency of combined cycle power plants is determined by the performance of the gas turbine in combination with its heat recovery bottoming cycle. Kalina-type thermodynamic bottoming cycles have been studied for combined cycle application. The Kalina cycle employs a working fluid comprised of a mixture of dissimilar components, e.g., ammonia and water. A distillation condensation sub-system (DCSS) is used to absorb, condense and regenerate the working fluid after exhausting from the low pressure vapor turbine in the Kalina bottoming cycles. The DCSS system allows the working fluid to be condensed at a lower pressure, with available cooling water temperature, compared to direct condensation. The DCSS system is a significant contributor to the superior thermal efficiency of Kalina bottoming cycles compared to conventional Rankine bottoming cycles. Various types of Kalina-type thermodynamic cycles are known, including the cycle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,708, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.